The Resource Centre holds all our documents (briefings, consultation responses, press releases and reports). Signed-in members also have access to projects. You can search the Resource Centre by topic or by type of document.
Resources
Resources
Building back better on urban transport
June, 2021
As the network of transport authorities serving the largest city regions in England, we worked together to keep the wheels of public transport turning during the lockdown so that key workers could get to where they needed to be.
In this paper we set out how, with the right policy framework from Government, we can meet the challenge of ramping up public transport and prioritising cycling and walking to support a green and just recovery.
(Updated version June 2021)
Public Transport Ticketing Scheme Block Exemption
May, 2021
Consulting body:
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
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The role of LRT during and after the pandemic
May, 2021
This factsheet sets out examples and statistics on the key role that light rail has played in getting key workers where they need to be during the pandemic and the essential role it will have in building back better afterwards.
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Automated Vehicles: Consultation Paper 3 – A regulatory framework for automated vehicles
March, 2021
UTG response to the third Law Commission consultation on automated vehicles and the regulatory framework that should apply to them.
Consulting body:
Law Commission
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A new deal for urban transport: for the pandemic and beyond
February, 2021
This short paper shows how urban transport authorities have been keeping the wheels of public transport turning during the pandemic, working together to meet the challenges of COVID-19, whilst delivering better transport for a green and just recovery from it.
But transport authorities lack long-term, coherent and sufficient Government funding and key powers to provide the best service they can during the pandemic or in the longer term to transform and coordinate public transport.
Our case is set out in more detailed reports here including Building back better on urban transport.
Now is the time for a new deal on urban transport.
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Major transport infrastructure projects: appraisal and delivery
January, 2021
Our response to the Transport Committee inquiry into the appraisal and delivery of major transport infrastructure projects. This inquiry considers: transport infrastructure strategy and priorities; the appraisal and funding of transport infrastructure; oversight, accountability and governance of transport infrastructure projects; and factors influencing the cost and capacity and skills required to deliver the infrastructure plans.
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
National Initiatives on Skills and Diversity for the Transport Sector
January, 2021
This resource brings together national initiatives on skills and diversity with relevance to the transport sector. This is the only such resource for the transport sector. It can help organisations looking to diversify their workforce, help to raise the profile of careers in transport to the next generation and support inclusion and wellbeing in the current transport workforce.
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Reforming Public Transport after the Pandemic
December, 2020
This is the Urban Transport Group's response to the Transport Select Committee's inquiry into the long-term implications of the coronavirus pandemic for UK public transport.
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
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Briefing on Light Rail
December, 2020
This updated briefing on Light Rail Systems answers some of the most frequently asked questions about this mode of transport, and presents the benefits that Light Rail can bring.
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The role of LRT during and after the pandemic
May, 2021
This factsheet sets out examples and statistics on the key role that light rail has played in getting key workers where they need to be during the pandemic and the essential role it will have in building back better afterwards.
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National Initiatives on Skills and Diversity for the Transport Sector
January, 2021
This resource brings together national initiatives on skills and diversity with relevance to the transport sector. This is the only such resource for the transport sector. It can help organisations looking to diversify their workforce, help to raise the profile of careers in transport to the next generation and support inclusion and wellbeing in the current transport workforce.
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Briefing on Light Rail
December, 2020
This updated briefing on Light Rail Systems answers some of the most frequently asked questions about this mode of transport, and presents the benefits that Light Rail can bring.
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Funding and delivering bus services during the pandemic and beyond
November, 2020
This document proposes a two stage approach to ensuring the most efficient use of public funding to provide the best possible bus service during the pandemic, whilst setting in place the foundations for reversing the decline in bus use that was taking place before the pandemic.
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Bus Policy
November, 2020
This updated briefing looks at why buses matter and how bus policy works. It explains the significant challenges facing the sector (including the COVID-19 pandemic) and how city regions are backing the bus. It also sets out how the 2017 Bus Services Act could help make bus services better.
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UK Transport Governance - an introduction
October, 2020
Read our updated briefing to find out more about how transport is governed in the UK.
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The key COVID-19 challenges for urban transport and the support we need from Government
August, 2020
This overarching briefing sets out the key issues facing urban transport authorities in their response to the coronavirus crisis. It also sets out the four things we need from Government so that transport authorities can support a safe and achievable phased release from lockdown. Updated 18 August 2020.
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Supporting bus services in the COVID-19 recovery period
July, 2020
This briefing makes the case for a more robust and cost effective format for funding support for the bus sector for the recovery period.
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The urgent need for sustainable bus funding arrangements for bus services in the Covid-19 recovery period
June, 2020
This briefing sets out the case for a more robust and cost effective format for bus funding for the recovery period. Updated 16th June 2020
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Building back better on urban transport
June, 2021
As the network of transport authorities serving the largest city regions in England, we worked together to keep the wheels of public transport turning during the lockdown so that key workers could get to where they needed to be.
In this paper we set out how, with the right policy framework from Government, we can meet the challenge of ramping up public transport and prioritising cycling and walking to support a green and just recovery.
(Updated version June 2021)
A new deal for urban transport: for the pandemic and beyond
February, 2021
This short paper shows how urban transport authorities have been keeping the wheels of public transport turning during the pandemic, working together to meet the challenges of COVID-19, whilst delivering better transport for a green and just recovery from it.
But transport authorities lack long-term, coherent and sufficient Government funding and key powers to provide the best service they can during the pandemic or in the longer term to transform and coordinate public transport.
Our case is set out in more detailed reports here including Building back better on urban transport.
Now is the time for a new deal on urban transport.
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The Covid-19 Funding Gap: The Case for Continuing Support for Urban Public Transport
September, 2020
This report, produced by transport consultancy Steer for the Urban Transport Group, warns that the future of local public transport services is at serious risk without continued COVID-19 financial support from Government.
It highlights how Government support allowed public transport to continue during the national lockdown (enabling key workers to travel to and from work) and to provide a more comprehensive service at lower socially distanced vehicle capacity following the end of the lockdown.
But the report paints a stark picture for both bus and light rail systems should this support be withdrawn prematurely.
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Towards an appropriate legal and regulatory framework for smart futures on transport
September, 2020
Commissioned from consultants Steer, this report seeks to provide an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses the current UK legal and regulatory framework for smart transport futures in relation to the key challenges that UK transport authorities face. It also explores the potential for anticipatory regulation, principles that could underpin any changes to the framework and recommendations for priority areas in need of reform.
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Action stations: How devolution is transforming rail stations for the better
August, 2020
This report focuses on the benefits of the involvement of devolved authorities in rail stations.
It does so by looking at over 35 case studies of how and why devolved authorities have improved stations for the better in recent years – and the wide range of different kinds of benefits that this has brought for passengers and the places the railway serves. These benefits include helping to meet local housing need and sparking regeneration, turning run-down stations into gateways and places to be proud of, and improving the accessibility and environmental performance of station buildings.
The report goes further by looking at the potential to achieve even greater results through devolving more responsibilities for stations, such as delivering common branding with the rest of the local public transport network, through to ensuring plans and funding for stations is integrated with wider plans around housing, economic development and decarbonisation.
Automatic for the people? Issues and options for transport authorities on connected and autonomous vehicles
March, 2020
This report aims to provide an objective framework for city regions to think about connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) and the approaches they might take to them.
It looks at CAVs from the perspective of city region transport authorities in the context of their wider objectives and responsibilities; it recognises that vehicles are becoming increasingly connected and autonomous; and that the range of connected and autonomous vehicles goes beyond just cars to include buses and public service vehicles. It also analyses the safety, economic, social and environmental considerations of CAVs.
The report presents options for how transport authorities may respond to CAVs, and recommends the actions national Government should take to enable them to do so.
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The Local Transport Lottery - The costs and inefficiencies of funding local transport through ad hoc competitions
February, 2020
This report takes an in-depth look at the implications of an excessive reliance on competition funding for urban transport projects.
The research shows how such a reliance impacts local authorities’ ability to deliver value for money and places pressure on authorities and their staff.
The report is based on surveys and one-to-one interviews with senior officers responsible for delivering transport policies, programmes and projects in some of England’s largest city regions.
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How bus users spend their journey time
November, 2019
This research - conducted by transport consultancy SYSTRA on behalf of the Urban Transport Group - uncovers valuable insights into how passengers spend their time while travelling by bus, and sets out the implications for future bus design and promotion.
The research was based on surveys of over 1,100 people on two different bus routes in Leeds and Nottingham. The two routes both provide a high frequency service and operate with double decker buses with leather seats, WiFi and USB ports - some of the best on-board facilities available. However, the profile of passengers between the two routes was somewhat different, with passengers in Leeds tending to be older, working or retired, whilst a higher proportion of respondents in Nottingham were students, due to the bus route travelling along the university corridor.
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Making the connections on climate: How city regions can join the dots between transport, energy and the built environment
November, 2019
This report draws together practical examples of the links that can be made on climate at the city region level between transport and energy, and between transport and the decarbonisation and adaptation of the built environment.
In doing so, the report also suggests practical interventions that can be made on a host of different types of projects as well as profiling how a city can make these connections in an increasingly systematic way - using Nottingham and Munich as case studies.
You can listen to a podcast of a public lecture held at LSE Cities in London, where the report was launched.
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What scope for boosting bus use? An analysis of the Intrinsic Bus Potential of local authority areas in England
October, 2019
This research, by Transport for Quality of Life, identifies the underlying conditions that best predict levels of bus use in local areas. It points to six conditions which, when combined, are used to define the ‘Intrinsic Bus Potential’ (IBP) of a local authority area. These include the Index of Multiple Deprivation, the proportion of students, and rush-hour traffic travel times.
The report also identifies additional factors which may explain why some areas exceed expectations with higher levels of bus use than predicted, such as a pre-existing culture of bus use, high levels of bus provision, and local factors such as poor rail connectivity.
The research has a number of important implications, including the need for radical change on bus policy to enable more areas to do significantly better on bus patronage.
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Public Transport Ticketing Scheme Block Exemption
May, 2021
Consulting body:
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Topic:
Automated Vehicles: Consultation Paper 3 – A regulatory framework for automated vehicles
March, 2021
UTG response to the third Law Commission consultation on automated vehicles and the regulatory framework that should apply to them.
Consulting body:
Law Commission
Topic:
Major transport infrastructure projects: appraisal and delivery
January, 2021
Our response to the Transport Committee inquiry into the appraisal and delivery of major transport infrastructure projects. This inquiry considers: transport infrastructure strategy and priorities; the appraisal and funding of transport infrastructure; oversight, accountability and governance of transport infrastructure projects; and factors influencing the cost and capacity and skills required to deliver the infrastructure plans.
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
Reforming Public Transport after the Pandemic
December, 2020
This is the Urban Transport Group's response to the Transport Select Committee's inquiry into the long-term implications of the coronavirus pandemic for UK public transport.
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
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Pavement parking: options for change
November, 2020
UTG response to DfT proposals for reducing the prevalence of pavement parking.
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
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Planning for the future
October, 2020
This is the Urban Transport Group response the consultation on 'Planning for the future', which examines proposed reforms to the planning system in England.
Consulting body:
Department for Communities and Local Government
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Submission to the Comprehensive Spending Review 2020
September, 2020
This is our submission to HM Treasury's Comprehensive Spending Review 2020. In our submission, we call upon the Government to move on from its current 'patch and mend’ approach to closing the COVID-19 funding gap for public transport towards longer-term, secure arrangements. We argue that this should form the basis for wider reforms of the funding and powers of city region transport authorities. In practice, this would mean providing long-term funding packages for local transport similar to those already in place for national rail and roads, as well as upgrading the powers of city region transport authorities so they are more in line with those in London. This would ensure that transport authorities are fully empowered and funded to meet the challenge of a green and just recovery from COVID-19.
Consulting body:
HM Treasury
Transport Decarbonisation Plan
August, 2020
This is our response to the Government's Transport Decarbonisation Plan, which requested ideas about the next steps to reducing emissions in transport and creating a plan to ensure the UK meets its net zero emissions by 2050 target.
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Topic:
Future of Transport Regulatory Review
July, 2020
Our response to the Department for Transport's consultation focusing on the potential for regulatory reform around micromobility; flexible bus services; and Mobility as a Service (MaaS).
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
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e-scooters: pavement nuisance or transport innovation?
June, 2020
Our response to the Transport Committee's inquiry into the safety and legal implications of electric scooters, their impact on congestion, and potential contribution to reducing the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
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Urban transport authorities welcome extension of COVID light rail funding support
Friday, June 18, 2021
The Urban Transport Group today welcomed the extension by one month (from June 21st to July 19th) of funding from Government to close the gap caused by loss of patronage due to the pandemic.
Stephen Edwards, who leads on light rail for UTG, said:
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The biggest job in UK urban transport: TfL Commissioner to speak about leading through a global crisis and towards a green and just recovery
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Transport for London Commissioner Andy Byford will be in conversation with Jo Field, Chief Executive of JFG Communications and President of Women in Transport for the seventh in the Urban Transport Next series of events, hosted by Urban Transport Group.
Urban Transport Group welcomes Williams-Shapps rail plan
Thursday, May 20, 2021
The UK’s network of urban transport authorities has welcomed the news that the Williams-Shapps Plan for rail will give ‘local leaders…greater control over local ticketing, timetables and stations.’
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Urban Transport Group powers up project into benefits of e-bikes for cities
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
A new project to examine the wide-ranging potential benefits e-bikes can bring to city regions and the options transport authorities have to harness such opportunities has been commissioned by the Urban Transport Group.
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City regions welcome continued emergency light rail funding
Saturday, March 20, 2021
The Urban Transport Group has today welcomed continued emergency funding for light rail systems outside London, but stressed that longer term funding will be needed whilst public transport recovers from the pandemic.
Urban Transport Group welcomes national bus strategy's “positive and ambitious vision for the future”
Monday, March 15, 2021
The Urban Transport Group, the network of UK transport authorities (which serve the areas where the vast majority of bus trips are made), has today welcomed the national bus strategy.
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City regions make case for new deal for urban transport in run up to Budget
Thursday, February 25, 2021
City region transport authorities are making the case for a new deal on urban transport in the run up to next week’s Budget.
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New report to review regulation of bus safety, commissioned by Urban Transport Group
Monday, February 22, 2021
The strengths and weaknesses of the current system of oversight and regulation of bus safety are to be analysed by the Urban Transport Group in a new report.
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Urban Transport Group brings together past and present Nexus leaders to celebrate 40 years of Tyne and Wear Metro at special event
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
The Urban Transport Group is bringing together the former boss of Nexus (the public body which operates the Tyne and Wear Metro) Mike Parker and its current Director General Tobyn Hughes for a special event to celebrate 40 years of the unique and pioneering light rail system.
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West Midlands transport chief is new Chair of Urban Transport Group
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Laura Shoaf, the Managing Director of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), is the new Chair of the Urban Transport Group.
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